Loon Lake, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The El Dorado County end of California holds Loon Lake. The ground around here is mixed woodland. At some 992 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 8.6 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It is among the larger waters listed here for El Dorado County. Nearest town is Tahoma, 11 miles off. Then Sunnyside-Tahoe City, 13 miles, and Dollar Point, 17 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Open biodiversity records for El Dorado County list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The near bank of Loon Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 60°F and December near 29°F. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Loon Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Hidden Lake, 1.6 miles out. Treat Loon Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.